ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The YWCA will begin opening its Code Blue warming center on Monday starting at 8 a.m. The YWCA has teamed up with Monroe County to offer a warm refuge for people without homes.

The center at 35 Ardmore Street will be open for men and women 24-hours a day. The RTS will provide free transportation from the transit center to the warming center all winter long.

The opening comes as new federal data shows that the number of homeless people in the U.S. is at its highest level ever.

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than 653,000 people in this country are now without a home. That’s a 12% increase since last year, leaving many large cities struggling to find shelter for them.